Archive for 2010

It has been announced that the National Archives of Scotland, and the General Register Office for Scotland, are to merge. The merger builds upon the existing close working relationships between the two organizations, and will permit increased efficiency through the further sharing of central services. This move follows discussions in
the Republic of Ireland regarding the merger of the National Archives of Ireland, the Irish Manuscripts Commission, and the National Library of Ireland.

Family History specialist Audrey Collins discusses how researchers can get the most out of the London Gazette, Britain’s oldest continually-published newspaper. From its first edition, produced in Oxford in November 1665 while London suffered through the plague, it became well-known as the source for official notices. This treasure trove for family and local historians and can reveal details of gallantry awards, notices of bankruptcy, changes of name, and much more. for more click here

On 1 June 2004 a Royal Warrant was issued which required the creation and maintenance of a Roll of the Peerage. The responsibility for this now rests with the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. Under the terms of the Royal Warrant any person who succeeds to a Peerage must prove his or her succession and be placed on the Roll, otherwise that person may not be legally recognized as a Peer in official documents. The Roll of the Peerage is an officially compiled and maintained list, intended to contain the names of all living peers. Peers are enrolled in it in the following circumstances: Hereditary Peers who have proved succession in accordance with the terms of the 2004 Royal Warrant; Hereditary Peers who up to 1999 received a Writ of Summons; Hereditary Peers who from 1999 have proved their succession in order to be eligible either for election to a vacant seat amongst the remaining 92 hereditary peers in a House of Lords ‘by-election’, or to vote in such a by-election; Life Peers. Th
therefore not included on the Roll. The Roll itself is maintained by the Registrar of the Peerage, an official of the Crown Office, part of the Ministry of Justice. It is , together with the text of the Royal Warrant,
explanatory notes, and information about proving succession. The published Roll of the Peerage will be revised every month.

The earliest date at which Jews arrived in Scotland is not known. It is possible that some arrived, or at least visited, as a result of the Roman Empire’s conquest of southern Great Britain, but there is no direct evidence for this. What the Romans referred to as “Caledonia” was never integrated into the Empire, although there was a short-lived occupation of southern Scotland (and Roman influence and trade continued after the withdrawal of their troops). Most histories of Jews in Scotland deal with the subject matter from a British perspective, and the Scottish aspect tends to be marginalised.

The Peerage is a system of titles in the United Kingdom, which represents the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system. The term is used both collectively to refer to the entire body of titles, and individually to refer to a specific title. All modern British honours, including peerage dignities, are created directly by the British monarch, taking effect when letters patent are affixed with the Great Seal of the Realm. The Sovereign is considered the fount of honour, and as “the fountain and source of all dignities cannot hold a dignity from himself”,[1] cannot hold a peerage (although the British Sovereign uses the Style “Duke of Lancaster”). If an individual is neither the Sovereign nor a peer, he is a commoner. Members of a peer’s family who are not themselves peers (including such members of the Royal Family) are also commoners; the British system thus differs fundamentally from continental European ones, where entire families, rather than individuals, were ennobled. for more click here

The Battle of Philiphaugh was fought on 13 September 1645 during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. The Royalist army of the Marquess of Montrose was destroyed by the Covenanter army of Sir David Leslie, restoring the power of the Committee of Estates. for more click here

Sir William Hay of Delgatie Castle was the standard bearer to the Marquis of Montrose. He was defeated at Philiphaugh but Hay still managed to return the standard to Buchanan Castle. He was later executed at Edinburgh in 1650. He was buried in Montrose in St Giles Cathedral.

Clan Hay is a Scottish clan that has played an important part in the history and politics of Scotland. Members of the clan are to be found in most parts of Scotland and in many other parts of the world. However, the North East of Scotland, i.e. Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire (historic), Banffshire, Morayshire and Nairnshire Nairn (boundaries), is the heart of Hay country with other significant concentrations of Hays being found in Perthshire, especially around Perth, in the Scottish Borders, and in Shetland. for more click here